Are you on the Right Path? How do you find the right Path? How do you stay on the Right Path?

Are you on the right Path?

When I reflect on my childhood and teen years my summary looks like this. The Path I was on was a bit of a mess due to the death of my father, and improper sexual influences with my peers and my Youth Pastor.

Regardless of these facts, the structures provided by my mom and the adults in my life provided for a Path of success. What does success mean? Although there were various troubles along the path, I was able to function at a level that allowed me to follow a path typical of life expectations of a person in the society I lived in.

Physically, I was given the atmosphere to find comfort in my pain.

Emotionally, there was much trouble with anger and emotion. Continued attempts to address emotional issues provided a method to create enough stability to be able to function with a level of success in sociocultural norms.     

Spiritually, for the most part I was in the dark. Sexual Abuse by my Youth Pastor did not provide a safe place for me to thrive. However, more importantly prior to the sexual abuse, I was given a foundation of a church and God that offered me the opportunity to see, even if my sight was narrow. To simplify, while unable to practice well, I understood God’s requirement for obedience and His love for me regardless of lack of obedience.

At the age of 30 I was on a path of destruction. Sex addiction was the path I was on to ruin my life. I was staring at the idea of destroying my marriage and the structure I had built that was my life.

How do You Find the Right Path?

Step one! Get off the wrong path!  Surrender was the first step to finding the right Path. The pain became so great, I knew I needed help. I had to get honest and I needed to own my story to find the Right Path.

“Owning our story can be hard, but not nearly as difficult as spending our lives running from it.” Brene Brown

Lean on Him to guide you to the Right Path. God wants a relationship with us, and this is the perfect introduction to a relationship with Him! Allowing God to guide us is the beginning of MORE if we continue to do the work. I used to ask this question. “Ok, So God wants us to do His will. Where is the line in the sand? Where is it my will verses His will?”   

Allowing God to speak to you through others is a first line of knowing if it is God’s will or my will.

We need to be organized and understand the Path that we need to go on. In the beginning for me, the Right Path looked like a 12-step program and spiritual development within that program. Seeking continued growth in my faith tradition and finding outside resources with mental health professionals was essential in helping me find the Right Path. You will know if you are on the Right Path by the results.

How do You stay on the Right Path?

Trusting Him is key to staying on the Right Path. My Right Path has been far from perfect. I have had plenty of struggles on my Path. I have even taken the wrong Path on my journey. Sometimes, I have even self-destructed my Path.

Here is the awesome news! Even when I misstep, it easy to get back on the Right Path! I just need to dial up God and He puts me back on the Right Path.

Today I am on the Right Path. You will know you are on the Right Path by the Fruit!

Physically, I am taking care of myself. I have changed my diet and lost 30 pounds since March of this year. I walk regularly with my wife and I am still working on recovery from a shoulder injury from almost 3 years ago. Although I prefer action and speed, my current employment reflects what my body needs; paced and methodical with low impact. I am learning new things. I am learning how to play the bass and I am in my church’s praise band. I am focused on studying the bible and practice my faith tradition.

I write about Hope, with Jesus as the focus.   

Emotionally, maintenance is always required. I have done the work! I have done a ton of work on my emotional well-being. The 12-step program coupled with mental health professionals and work on my faith tradition was a key to emotional health. More work in my 12-step program and continued growth in my faith tradition were necessary to continued work towards emotional stability. Accepting my bipolar health challenge and addressing it with a plan that works for me has brought much peace. Finding Jesus was the key to next level emotional steadiness. An intensive work from home 12-week program of emotion focused therapy was a key element to emotional balance.

I write about Hope, with Jesus as the focus.    

Spiritually, this is now an area of strength! I found Jesus! My Faith is strong, and I desire More! I have found a church that is blessed with awesome leadership and knows the Right Jesus. I teach Sunday School with my wife and we study the bible together along with our Sunday School class. I understand that the Right Path is Obedience, Faith, Fruit, Gifts, Spread the Word.

I write about Hope, with Jesus as the focus.    

Matthew 7:13-14

The Narrow and Wide Gates NIV

¹³ “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. ¹⁴ But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.